Buttonhole attachment for sewing machines



y 1962 B. s. NICKERSON Em 3,033,136

BUTTONHOLE ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Nov. 17, 1959 INVENTOR$ Basil S. N/cHerson 5nd Char/es Cure/lo ATTORNEY 5 United States Patent of Delaware Filed Nov. 17, 1959, Ser. No. 853,531 7 Claims. (Cl. 112-77) This invention relates to buttonhole attachments for sewing machines, and relates more particularly to a buttonhole attachment having improved means for adjusting the lateral throw of the feed blade to adjust the width of the stitch made by the machine. The present structure constitutes an improvement of the buttonhole attachment illustrated and described in US. Patent No. 2,890,668, issued June 16, 1959.

One object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved buttonhole attachment for household sewing machines.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in a sewing machine attachment such as characterized above, means to more easily adjust the lateral throw of the feed blade to adjust the width of the stitch made by the machine.

To these and other ends the invention consists in the novel features and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing:

FIG. lis a top plan view of a buttonhole attachment embodying our improvements;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a view illustrating a part of the aforementioned adjusting means both in top plan and in perspective.

In the drawing, the main frame member of the attachment is shown at 10, the frame member having upstanding side flanges 11 and 12. Mounted upon this frame member is a U-shaped bracket 13 having a base portion 13 lying flatly upon the top surface of the frame member and having upstanding arms 14 and 15. A cam member 16 is secured to a shaft 17 rotatably mounted in the arms 14 and 15, and a ratchet 18 is secured to one end of the last-mentioned shaft. A conventional fork arm 19 (see FIG. 1) is pivoted on the shaft 17, and a spring-urged pawl 20 is pivotally mounted on the arm 19 and pressed into contact with the ratchet 18. An actuating lever 22 is pivoted at 23 upon the main frame member 18 and carries at its forward end a cam follower 24 which extends into the track of the cam 16 so that when the cam is rotated the lever 22 is oscillated. The lever 22 extends rearwardly from its pivot point, and at the rear portion thereof is provided with a vertical shaft 25 on which is fixed a pinion 26.

Secured to the shaft 25 below the pinion is a ratchet wheel 27, and fixed to and swingable with the shaft below the ratchet wheel 27 is a lever 28 to which is pivoted a pawl 29 urged into engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 27 by a spring 30. The lever 28 may be manually operated to rotate the ratchet Wheel 27 and the pinion 26. A11 inverted cup-shaped bracket 31 is secured to the upper surface of the lever 22, the bracket 31 providing a housing for the ratchet wheel 27 and providing a bearing for the shaft 25.

A feed blade 33 pivotally mounts a feeding foot 34 at the forward end of the blade. The forward end of the feed blade lies below the frame member 10 and is provided with an elongated slot 35 which registers with slots A 36 and '37 in the frame 10 and the base portion 13 of the bracket 13, respectively. A pivot pin 38 extends through these registering slots and pivotally connects the feed blade 33 to the main frame member. The last-mentioned pin may be adjusted forwardly and rearwardly in the slots 36 and '37 to adjust the lateral throw or bite of the feed blade in a manner which will appear hereinafter. The intermediate portion of the feed blade is stepped, as at 39, and the blade extends through an opening 39 in the frame member 10, the rear portion 40 of the blade being disposed on the frame member. A cage or housing 41 is carried at the rear portion of the feed blade and is provided with an opening 42 in its forward end through which the lever 22 extends rearwardly. This housing is provided with an opening 43 in its upper face within which may be placed a template 44 (FIG. 1) which is provided with internal rack teeth 45 engaged by the pinion 26. The shape and size of the rack determine the shape and size of the buttonhole which is sewed with the use of the attachment. The template 4-4 is provided with a lip or flange 47 adjacent its rear end,

and with flanges 48, 49 and 50 adjacent its front end which overlie the edges of the opening 43 so that the template is supported upon the housing 41 in inverted position, as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2. A bowed spring 51 is mounted on the upper surface of the bracket 31 and engages the lower surface of the pinion 26 to hold the latter against play.

,To releasably hold the template in place, a bifurcated or U-shaped spring member 52 is slidably mounted onthe upper surface of the housing by means of slots 53 through which pins 54 extend. The spring member 52 has an upwardly extending flange 56 at the rear thereof by which it may be manipulated. The member 52 is also provided with spring holding clips 55, one adjacent each end of the U-shaped spring member, and one adjacent the bight portion of the member. The last-mentioned spring clip is adapted to engage over the rear portion of the template, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and the clips.

55 at the ends of the U-shaped spring member are adapted to engage over the respective flanges 48 and 50 to clamp the template in place when the spring member 52 is in the forward position shown in FIG. 1. When the spring member 52 is moved rearwardly, the template is released and may be removed to be replaced by another of different dimensions. A spring latch member 57 is secured,

as by a rivet, to the lower surface of the housing 41 andprojects rearwardly through an opening in the housing,

the rearwardly projecting end of the member 57 being.

turned upwardly to extend behind the lower end of the manipulating flange 56 of the U-shaped spring member 52 to releasably hold the spring member 52 in position. The operation of the U-shaped spring member 52 and the spring latch member 57 is fully described in the aforementioned U.S. patent and need not be further described here. Adjacent the rear end thereof a transverse bracket 62 is secured to the frame member 10, the bracket 62 extending through the housing 41. The bracket 62 is provided with an arcuate slot (FIG. 3) 63 within which rides a pin 64 secured to the actuating lever 22 to control. movement of the last-mentioned lever on the pivot 23. A pawl 70 is pivoted at 71 upon the bracket 62 and held in engagement with the ratchet wheel 27 by a spring 72. When the lever 22 is oscillated, and the ratchet wheel 27 which is carried thereby is moved laterally on the frame member 18, the ratchet wheel is thrust against the pawl 70 which eflects rotation of the ratchet wheel, thereby rotating the pinion 26 which is angularly rigid with the ratchet wheel 27. Rotation of the pinion 26 effects movement of the feed blade 33 through the template 44, the teeth 45 of which mesh with the pinion 26.

To permit adjustment of the bite or throw of the feed Patented May 8, 1962 blade in a lateral direction on the pivot pin 38 to govern the width of the stitch, the pin 38 is mounted on a slide 73 best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The slide 73 is disposed directly above the portion 13 of the bracket 13 and is provided with a longitudinal slot 74 in which is received the pivot pin 23 which may control the distance through which the slide 73 may be adjusted longitudinally. Adjustment of the slide 73 in a direction longitudinally of the attachment moves the pin 38 in the slots 35, 36 and 37 to vary the pivot point of the feed blade 33 and thereby adjust the lateral throw of the feeding foot 34 and the bite of the stitch. The slide 73 may be held down on the base portion 13 of the bracket 13 for sliding movement in close proximity thereto by the enlarged head 38* of the pivot pin 38, which as shown in FIG. 4, underlies the feed blade 33.

As best shown in FIG. 3, the slide 73 is provided with rack teeth 76 extending along at least a portion of one side thereof. In the illustrated form, the rack teeth extend throughout the greater part of the length of the slide. An operating member 77 of the plate-like form is provided with a gear segment 78 meshing with the teeth 76 of the slide, the operating member extending through a recess 79 (FIG. 4) in the bracket arm 14. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the operating member 77 also extends through a slot 80 formed in the upstanding side flange 11 of the main frame member. The operating member 77 is pivoted on a vertical axis by a pin 81 extending through the frame member and having (FIG. 4) an enlargement 82 at the lower end thereof to abut the underside of the frame member 10. The operating member 77 may be rocked in either direction on the axis of the pivot pin 81 which is provided with a head 83 overlying the plate-like member 77 to prevent dislocation of the member 77 in an upward direction. To facilitate rocking of the member 77 on its pivotal axis, the member 77 is provided (FIG. 3) with a serrated tongue 84 projecting outwardly therefrom. A plastic cap 85 is pressed on the tongue 84 for manipulation by the user, and it will be understood that the serrations of the tongue, by biting into the material of the cap 85, hold the cap securely in place in relation to the operating member 77.

A spacer member 86 is provided to maintain the member 77 against the head 83 of the pivot pin 81 and improper relation to the slide 73, the member 86 being shown to advantage in FIG. 5. As shown in the lastmentioned view, the spacer member 86, which is formed of sheet metal, has a body portion 87 which is generally of inverted cup shape. A tongue 88 is provided on the body portion 87 projecting from the latter and formed integrally therewith and, as shown in FIG. 4, the body portion 87 and the tongue 88 are arranged horizontally when the member 86 is assembled in the attachment with the operating member 77. The spacer member 86 is provided with a hole 89 through which the pivot pin 81 may extend, as shown in FIG. 4, and the body portion 87 of the spacer member is truncated in a vertical plane to provide a straight edge 90 which abuts the side flange 11 of the main frame member to prevent angular movement of the spacer member 86. As shown in FIG. 4, the body portion 87 of the spacer member is interposed between the upper surface of the bottom of the main frame member 10 and the under surface of the operating mem ber 77. The body portion of the spacer member may be somewhat compressed between the last-mentioned elements and may resiliently urge the member 77 against the head 83 of the pivot pin 81.

The tongue of the spacer member 86 forms a detent for the swingable operating member 77, the tongue having at the distal portion thereof a boss 91 selectively receivable in any one of a number of laterally spaced recesses or holes formed in the member 77. In the illustrated form, three of these holes are provided in the member 77, the holes being indicated at 92. When the boss 91 is locked in any of the holes 92, accidental dislocation of the operating member 77 on its pivotal axis is inhibited, this condition of the parts being clearly shown in FIG. 4.

The operation of the feed-blade-adjusting slide 73 will be manifest from the foregoing description of the structure. When the pivot pin 23 occupies the rear end of the slot 74 formed in the slide 73, the slide is in the extreme forward position thereof, as shown in FIG. 3. In this position the pivot pin 38, carried by the slide, occupics the extreme forward position thereof, and when the last-mention pivot is in this position, the degree of lateral movement of the foot-carrying feed blade is quite small and the attachment effects a narrow stitch. When the slide 73 is in the last-mentioned position, the rockable operating member 77 occupies the angular position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and, as shown in these views, the operating member 77 may have on the upper surface thereof indicia such as the letters of the alphabet, N, M, W, toindicate to the user the width of the stitch effected with the use of the attachment. As shown in FIG. 3, for example, the letter N is readily visible to the user when the slide is in the extreme forward position thereof to indicate a narrow stitch.

To effect a medium stitch, the operator may grip the operating handle and swing the operating member 77 on its pivotal axis in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 3, until the letter M on the operating member appears substantially at right angles to the longitudinal median plane of the attachment. During this movement, the detent is disengaged from the wall of one hole 92 and engaged with the wall of the next hole 92, and during this movement the pivot-carrying slide 73 is moved rearwardly through the meshing of the gear segment 78 with the rack teeth 76 until the pivot pin 38 occupies a position substantially midway between the extreme forward and rear positions thereof. It will be understood that continued movement of the operating member 77 in the last-mentioned direction effects movement of the pivot-carrying slide 73 to the rearmost position thereof in which the pivot 23 occupies the forward end of the slot 74. In the last-mentioned position of the pivot-carrying slide, the foot-carrying feed blade 33 may have a relatively wide lateral throw on the axis of the pivot pin 38 to effect a wide stitch.

It will be manifest from the foregoing disclosure that the buttonhole attachment is provided with improved means for adjusting the lateral throw of the feed blade to adjust the width of the stitch made by the sewing machine. The pivot-carrying slide which controls the throw of the feed blade may be moved back and forth in a longitudinal direction quickly and easily by manipulation of the handle controlling the operating member which is provided with a gear segment meshing with the rack teeth provided on the slide. The rockable operating member cooperates in a facile manner with the spacer member which maintains the operating member in proper position and also provides means coacting with means on the operating member to releasably hold the operating member in an angularly adjusted position.

While only one form of the sewing machine attachment has been illustrated in the drawing and described above, it will be apparent to those versed in the art that the attachment may take other forms and is susceptible of various changes in details without departing from the principles of the invention and the scope of the claims.

What we claim is:

1. A buttonhole attachment for a sewing machine, comprising an elongated horizontally arranged frame member, an elongated longitudinally arranged feed blade for pivotal and lengthwise slidable movements and for support from said member, means for effecting such movements including an actuating lever pivoted on said member, a slide mounted on said member for sliding movement longitudinally of the latter, a pivot pin carried by said slide and on which the feed blade is pivoted, the feed blade having a longitudinally arranged slot therein receiving said pin so as to be slidable with respect thereto, and means to adjust said slide longitudinally of the frame member to change the position of said pin and thereby adjust the degree of pivotal movement of one end of the blade, said means including a rockable operating member swingable in a horizontal plane and having a part thereon coacting with a part in fixed relation to the frame member to provide a detent.

2. A buttonhole attachment for a sewing machine, comprising an elongated horizontally arranged frame member, an elongated longitudinally arranged feed blade for pivotal and lengthwise slidable movements and for support from said member, means for effecting such movements including an actuating lever pivoted on said member, a slide mounted on said member for sliding movement longitudinally of the latter and having a toothed part, a pivot pin carried by said slide and on which the feed blade is pivoted, the feed blade having a longitudinally arranged slot therein receiving said pin so as to be slidable with respect thereto, and means to adjust said slide longitudinally of the frame member to change the position of said pin and thereby adjust the degree of pivotal movement of one end of the blade, said means including a rockable operating member, said operating memher having a toothed part cooperating with the toothed part of the slide.

3. A buttonhole attachment for a sewing machine, comprising an elongated horizontally arranged frame member, an elongated longitudinally arranged feed blade for pivotal and lengthwise slidable movements and for support from said member, means for effecting such movements including an actuating lever pivoted on said memher, a slide mounted on said member for sliding move ment longitudinally of the latter and having a toothed part, a pivot pin carried by said slide and on which the feed blade is pivoted, the feed blade having a longitudinally arranged slot therein receiving said pin so as to be slidable with respect thereto, and means to adjust said slide longitudinally of the frame member to change the position of said pin and thereby adjust the degree of pivotal movement of one end of the blade, said means including a rockable operating member swingable in a horizontal plane, said operating member having a toothed part cooperating with the toothed part of the slide.

4. A buttonhole attachment for a sewing machine, comprising an elongated horizontally arranged frame member having an upstanding side flange, an elongated longitudinally arranged feed blade for pivotal and lengthwise slidable movements and for support from said member, means for effecting such movements including an actuating lever pivoted on said member, a slide mounted on said member for sliding movement longitudinally of the latter and having a toothed part, a pivot pin carried by said slide and on which the feed blade is pivoted, the feed blade having a longitudinally arranged slot therein receiving said pin so as to be slidable with respect thereto, and means to adjust said slide longitudinally of the frame to change the position of said pin and thereby adjust the degree of pivotal movement of one end of the blade, said means including a rockable operating member swingable in a horizontal plane, the last-named member extending through said side flange and having without the frame member a part for manipulation, and the operating member having a toothed part cooperating with the toothed part of the slide.

5. A buttonhole attachment for a sewing machine, comprising an elongated horizontally arranged frame member having a bottom and an upstanding side flange, an elongated horizontally arranged feed blade for pivotal and lengthwise slidable movements and for support from said member, means for effecting such movements including an actuating lever pivoted on said member, a toothed slide mounted on said member in upwardly spaced relation from the bottom of the latter for sliding movement longitudinally of the member, a pivot pin carried by said slide and on which the feed blade is pivoted, the feed blade having a longitudinally arranged slot therein receiving said pin so as to be slidable with respect thereto, a toothed operating member for swinging movement in a horizontal plane and having the teeth thereof meshing with the teeth of the slide to adjust the slide longitudinally of the frame to change the position of said pin and thereby adjust the degree of pivotal movement of one end of the blade, said operating member extending through said side flange and having without the frame a part for manipulation, a vertically arranged pivot pin mounting said operating member for the pivotal movement thereof and supported from the bottom of said frame member, the last-named pin having means to inhibit upward dislocation of the operating member, and a spacer member intermediate the operating member and the bottom of the frame member, having a part thereof of inverted cup shape embracing the last-named pin, the spacer member having a longitudinally projecting tongue provided with a detent cooperating with said operating member to hold the latter in an adjusted position, and the spacer member being engageable with a part in fixed relation to the frame member to inhibit angular dislocation of the spacer member.

6. A buttonhole attachment for a sewing machine, comrising an elongated horizontally arranged frame member having a bottom and an upstanding side flange, an elongated horizontally arranged feed blade for pivotal and lengthwise slidable movements and for support from said member, means for effecting such movements including an actuating lever pivoted on said member, a toothed slide mounted on said member in upwardly spaced relation from the bottom of the latter for sliding movement longitudinally of the member, a pivot pin carried by said slide and on which the feed blade is pivoted, the feed blade having a longitudinally arranged slot therein receiving said pin so as to be slidable with respect thereto, a toothed operating member for swinging movement in a horizontal plane and having the teeth thereof meshing with the teeth of the slide to adjust the slide longitudinally of the frame to change the position of said pin and thereby adjust the degree of pivotal movement of one end of the blade, said operating member extending through said side flange and having Without the frame a part for manipulation, a vertically arranged pivot pin mounting said operating member for the pivotal movement thereof and supported from the bottom of said frame member the lastnamed pin having means to inhibit upward dislocation of the operating member, and a spacer member intermediate the operating member and the bottom of the frame member, having a part thereof of inverted cup shape embracing the last-named pin, the spacer member having a longitudinally projecting tongue provided with a detent cooperating with said operating member to hold the latter in an adjusted position, and the spacer member having said cup-shaped part thereof truncated in a vertical plane and engaging said flange of the frame member to hold the spacer member against angular displacement.

7. A buttonhole attachment for a sewing machine comprising an elongated horizontally arranged frame member, an elongated horizontally arranged feed blade for pivotal and lengthwise slidable movements and for support from said member, means for effecting such movements, a slide mounted on said member in upwardly spaced relation from the bottom of the latter for sliding movement longitudinally of the member, a pivot pin carried by said slide and on which the feed blade is pivoted,

the feed blade having a longitudinally arranged slot therein receiving said pin so as to be slidable relatively thereto, means to adjust said slide longitudinally of the frame member to change the position of said pin and thereby adjust the degree of pivotal movement of one end of the blade, said means including a rockable operating member swingable in a horizontal plane and pivoted to the frame member, and a spacer member intermediate the operating member and the bottom of the frame member, having a part thereof of inverted cup shape, the spacer member having means thereon coacting with means on the operating member to provide a detent, and the spacer member being engageable with a part in fixed relation to the frame member to inhibit angular dislocation of the spacer member.

ReferencesCited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Hart Nov. 15, 1938 Mastney Nov. 20, 1956 Johnson et al. June 16, 1959 Thomas July 14, 1959 

